Motorward

---

• Lexus CT 200h F-Sport
• Official: BMW Returns To DTM From 2012
• Burnout Duel: AJ Allmendinger Vs Ken Block
• Australia Gets Unique Mercedes SLS and C63 Concept 358
• 2011 Ford Explorer At SEMA
• Video: South Korea F1 Track Virtual Lap
• Russia To Join Formula 1 From 2014
• Video: New Ford Focus ST Driving Footage
• Video: Aston Martin Cygnet Explained
• BMW 6-Series MR600 GT By CLP

Lexus CT 200h F-Sport Posted: 15 Oct 2010 08:13 AM PDT Lexus has already prepared an F-Sport package for the Lexus CT 200h hybrid hatchback and showed it to the public at the 2010 Australian Motor Show. Enhancements of the F sport CT 200h includes both visual and performance upgrades , mind you these performance upgrades are just about tweaking chassis and suspension and not the power. On the outside you clearly notice the F sport body kit consisting of front and rear styling, alloy wheels, and badging, along with the choice of Lexus’ unique Flame Blue exterior color. Inside the cabin you get optional unique interior trim, F Sport steering wheel, sports pedals, scuff plates, instrument panel and privacy glass. Other feature of the car dealing with the ride and handling, is the uprated suspension featuring damping technology as an effective way of increasing torsional rigidity, suppressing vibrations and contributing to ride comfort without the penalty of significant extra weight. The lateral dampers, deployed front and rear, are key elements in a detailed package of design and engineering measures that also includes strategic strengthening and carefully-gauged welding quality throughout the vehicle. So there you go, if you want your hybrid a little bit sportier, this is the car for you!

Official: BMW Returns To DTM From 2012 Posted: 15 Oct 2010 07:59 AM PDT During the past few years DTM has been quite boring frankly, as it was just Mercedes and Audi taking part. But it’s going to change as BMW officially confirmed their return to German touring car championship in 2012. They had pulled out of the series in 1994, but now BMW AG considers conditions tied to a positive decision to return to the popular touring car series have now been met. After all they’re not involved in Formula 1 anymore and have plenty of time and budget to make it work at DTM. They will probably come with an M3. We hope BMW’s decision also provokes other car makers to enter DTM, then it’d be worth watching! Dr Klaus Draeger, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG with responsibility for development, says: "The return of BMW to the DTM is a fundamental part of the restructuring of our motorsport activities. With its increased commitment to production car racing, BMW is returning to its roots. The race track is the perfect place to demonstrate the impressive sporting characteristics of our vehicles against our core competitors in a high-powered environment. The DTM is the ideal stage on which to do this." BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen comments: "The entire team at BMW Motorsport is approaching this exciting project with absolute commitment. We began making technical preparations following our declaration of intent in April, and established parameters for a high-performance vehicle concept for deployment in the DTM. The positive decision of the BMW Board of Management means we can now shift up a gear and give the green light for development." Hans Werner Aufrecht, 1st  Chairman of the Board of ITR e.V. (DTM commercial rights holder and promoter): "We welcome the decision by BMW to enter the DTM from 2012. This is a further milestone for the future of our popular racing series, and proves that our efforts over the past few years have paid off. We laid the foundation for this in conjunction with the DMSB and the existing DTM manufacturers, namely Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Thus I would like to heartily thank all parties. I am personally looking forward to again seeing the three premium  brands of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz competing against each other on the race track. Our fans have waited a long time for this." The intention is to use the BMW M3 as the basic DTM vehicle, a car that has enjoyed unique successes in the field of touring and sports car racing in the past. Eric van de Poele (BE) and Roberto Ravaglia (IT) celebrated two DTM titles with the racing version of BMW's most sporty representative back in 1987 and 1989, while before that Volker Strycek (DE) won the DTM premiere in 1984 in the BMW 635 CSi. This season the current BMW M3 GT2 caused a sensation in the world of international endurance racing, taking victory in the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring

Burnout Duel: AJ Allmendinger Vs Ken Block Posted: 15 Oct 2010 07:01 AM PDT Have you ever wondered what would be the result if you put a Nascar machine against a Rally-prepd Ford Fiesta in a Burnout duel?! Well, apparently Ford has! So they’ve decided to put their resident stuntman Ken Block up against AJ Allmendinger and his V8 monster. This challenge is very very pointless, and equally amusing! There’s a lot of smoke involved in this video, so you might not see who won in the end.

Australia Gets Unique Mercedes SLS and C63 Concept 358 Posted: 15 Oct 2010 06:50 AM PDT At the 201 Australian Motor Show, Mercedes revealed two very unique cars based on the C63 AMG and the SLS AMG. The unique SLS, as it’s called by Mercedes, features a designo magno Night Black paint, currently the SLS in the world with this color, and tends to be more of a collectible item. The C63 Concept 358, that’s more day to day! This C63 features designo Pearl Orange paint from the AMG factory in Affalterbach, Concept 358 also introduces the AMG Performance Package Plus which lifts power to a staggering 358kW. Also included in the Performance Package Plus are unique 19-inch multi spoke alloy wheels in black, KEYLESS-GO and extended designo leather appointments inside. “Australia is one of our favourite markets,” said Mario Spitzner, Director Branding, Marketing & Sales Mercedes-AMG. “We were asked to create two unique AMG vehicles for the Australian International Motor Show.” “I hope you enjoy them as much as we did building them,” said Spitzner.

2011 Ford Explorer At SEMA Posted: 15 Oct 2010 06:30 AM PDT The 2010 SEMA show is the perfect place for Ford to promote the new 2011 Explorer by bringing a couple of custom models. They include cars by CGS Motorsports, Funkmaster Flex, and Galpin Auto Sports. Each of these cars have their unique details, which you will learn after the jump, but we’re more fond of the GAS Explorer becasue of its exquisite details such as the bonnet and side sills. "It's so new and reinvented, and the styling is standout from the inside out," said Craig Patterson, Ford Explorer marketing manager. "Explorer is the perfect choice for people to accessorize. Those who want to customize it are starting from a great base that is extremely well received, and that's where the attraction lies." Galpin Auto Sports Ford Explorer: Another Explorer concept, designed by Galpin Auto Sports, takes a vehicle with luxury appointments and makes it into an ultra-luxurious ride that even James Bond would enjoy. Using the character as their inspiration, the Galpin team used 24-inch wheels, custom silver paint on the exterior and modified exterior light treatments to convey that image. The custom interior shows off its luxury side with a leather-trimmed headliner that has suede running down the center, a look that's replicated on the seat inserts. An iPad pops up from the second-row console, and is viewable in either landscape or portrait mode. "This is a luxury, high-end vehicle that serves multiple purposes," said Tedros Mengiste of Galpin Auto Sports. "The Galpin Auto Sports Explorer is at home going off-road or transporting you to exclusive events. It meets your discerning expectations, and does it with style and substance." Funkmaster Flex Explorer: Funkmaster Flex and Team Baurtwell are back to show off their take on the new Explorer highlighted by three-piece forged billet wheels, which are complemented by 24-inch Cooper tires. Baer brakes provide the stopping power. CGS Performance Explorer: CGS Performance Products' take on Explorer shows off what a luxury vehicle for an active customer looks like. The look runs throughout the monochromatic silver Explorer, and is completed by two carbon fiber mountain bikes on the roof rack. "This SUV is all about outdoor adventure and doing it in comfort," said Casey Scranton, president, CGS Performance Products. "This customer can use the vehicle every day and will have no problem taking it camping or kayaking on the weekends." The luxury details are evident in the built-in video screens in the headrests, 22-inch silver wheels and the complete custom leather interior that's designed to resemble the links on a watch band. A CGS cat-back exhaust provides more power, a throatier sound, and even improved fuel economy.

Video: South Korea F1 Track Virtual Lap Posted: 15 Oct 2010 06:12 AM PDT South Korea’s Yeongam race track will host its first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix next week, and since it’s new we thought you might want to take a look at its bends and curves to assess is it going to be an interesting race or not! So here’s a virtual lap of the track with Mark Webber, brought to you by Red Bull Racing. The Yeongam track is 5.621 km long, and has 18 turns, most of which very tight. The race will be 55 laps.

Russia To Join Formula 1 From 2014 Posted: 15 Oct 2010 06:05 AM PDT According to a report by Bloomberg, Russia has signed a deal to host Grand Prix races from 2014. It’s not officially confirmed yet, but Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has been photographed shaking hand and smiling with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, so it must be a done deal! Russians have to act quickly now and start building needed facilities. They’ve picked Black Sea resort of Sochi, where they’re going to host 2014 Winter Olympics as well. One thing they have no worries about is sponsors, as there are big oil companies backing up this plan. There’s also lots of billionaires there who would love to promote their businesses using this opportunity. Russia already has a driver in F1, Vitaly Petrov. Bernie Ecclestone: "I'm very happy not only to have Formula One in Russia, but now in Sochi I'm delighted to see all the facilities you've built for the Olympics. I sincerely hope that Formula One is going to play a big part in what I can see happening in Sochi."

Video: New Ford Focus ST Driving Footage Posted: 15 Oct 2010 05:47 AM PDT Now that the Paris Motor Show is over and the dust is settling, it’s time for the new models introduced during the show to go out there and show what they got in the real world. Ford just released a short video showing the new Focus ST driving in open roads. You won’t hear any of the engine noise in this vid, but you will get to see the car from every angle. It does look pretty good, well, until it shows the rear-end!

Video: Aston Martin Cygnet Explained Posted: 15 Oct 2010 05:40 AM PDT Aston Martin released a video in which the company’s officials try to explain what on earth possessed them to create such a thing! Since its introduction, many people condemned the Cygnet because it’s just a fake. Some say Aston, being under pressure to lower their overall CO2 level, did this to avoid investing in hybrid powertrains. Whatever the reason, there’s no getting away from the fact that this car is a Toyota iQ wearing the Aston Martin badge.

BMW 6-Series MR600 GT By CLP Posted: 15 Oct 2010 05:28 AM PDT CLP presents an upgrade kit for the BMW 6-Series including bodykit, engine tune, wheels and tires and interior package. Dubbed the MR 600 GT, the car looks very different than standard thanks to the new bumpers front and rear, two rear fender flares, left and right side skirts and a rear apron, as well as the massive tailgate spoiler. This kit is not just about show as it reduces lift on the front axle and ensures optimization of the air flow for effective cooling of high-performance braking system. For this car CLP offers 3-part alloy wheels with stainless steel trim rings in size of 9.5 x22 inches and 11.5 x 22 inches, equipped with high-performance tires in sizes of 255/30-22 and 285/25-22. The cost of the wheel set is 8960 Euro. They are complimented by a KW Variant 3 coil-over suspension set. As for the engine, they can fiddle with the 645i’s V8 electronics and raise the power to 379 hp and 490 Nm. You may also opt for CLP muffler with four stainless steel tailpipes.

You are subscribed to email updates from Motorward To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610